Besides being students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Khunti, Baby Kumari, Roshni Kumari and Preeti Kumari have another thing in common. They are keen to learn English.
On Sunday, the trio along with 22 other girls joined the English Access Micro Scholarship Programme of the US embassy that was rolled out for the first time in the state.
The programme was inaugurated by David Kennedy, minister counsellor for public affairs at the US embassy in Delhi, and attended by deputy director of American Centre in Calcutta Jay Treloar and six members of a hockey team from Middlebury College in Vermont (US).
It’s a two-year programme covering at least 360 hours of training beyond school hours to help students learn the fundamentals of English. Those completing the training can apply for exchange programmes and studying in the US.
A committee of teachers based in Ranchi will take classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
“I like reading books and writing. Proficiency in English will help me a lot,” Roshni said.
The programme was launched in 2004 to impart English training to members of the economically disadvantaged sections of the society aged between 13 and 20 years.
Around 1,800 students are currently learning English through this programme at 18 locations across the country.
